More Changes on Outer Church Street

For those unfamiliar with Cece's, it's a well-curated consignment shop
that the reader reports is "pretty great, despite its humble appearance
from the street." This note is currently posted in the window:

Dear Friends and Amazing Clients,

Due to ADA/wheelchair accessibility requirements our shop has to close for renovation. We hope to be able to re-open our shop in three months.

We cannot thank you enough for all your support and amazing friendship. We truly enjoyed the past 14 years working and serving you. This has been a great lifetime experience.

For our consignments clients we will calling to schedule a pickup appointment. We are doing this in alphabetical order. Thank you for your understanding.

We look forward to keeping in touch and see you soon! Thank you! Gracias! Merci! Hasta Pronto! A Bientot!

Cece's closet.
Cecy xoxo

The building, which also houses Napra-Back & Muscle Treatment (1785 Church St), has two active permits on file:

TENANT SPACE NEW STOREFRONTS AT 1781 & 1785 CHURCH ST NEED TO BE UPGRADED FOR HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY. WILL ALSO REQUIRE MOVEMENT OF ELECTRICAL & 2 NEW EXTERIOR LIGHTS. LOWER RAISED FLOOR IN 1785 CHURCH ST.

REVISION TO APP#201204027356. SWITCH DOOR AND WINDOW LOCATION. PROVIDE LANDING HANDRAIL AND WHEEL GUIDE RAIL. WORK TO BE DONE IN COMMERCIAL UNITS ONLY.

A neighboring business told us that although Cece's has to close, Napra will likely be open during the work - and that Cece really does hope to return in 3 months, if she can.

5
comments:

Anonymous
said...

Rumor I heard was that the jerk behind the Noe ADA shakedown doesn't even live in SF nor does he (she?) ever visit these businesses. But, he's lawyered up and running through SF neighborhoods (started in the Richmond?!?) extorting small business.

Any truth to this? Partial? Compete? Set us straight cuz that's the buzz on 24th Street.

Most laws are written around common-sense. There is nothing common-sense about forcing small businesses out-of-business because one person, who never visits them, thinks the entire world should be ramped.

You are correct - the lawyer's name is Frankovich, and he has 3 disabled people working for him that have hit businesses in Noe, Richmond, North Beach & Castro neighborhoods. They live in Santa Rosa.They are horrible.You can google him and find out all about his history of these lawsuits. He spends much of his time in Mexico, where he is building a third home.

FYI---Tom Frankovich, the lawyer who has either threatened or brought legal action on behalf of the plaintiffs, was on the cover of the January 2012 issue of The California Lawyer (which is mailed to all California lawyers), and identified as “The Man Small Businesses Hate.” There is also a feature article about him inside. He specializes in suing businesses that fail to provide the access required under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and he has targeted many local stores.

San Rafael resident Craig Yates and a married Santa Rosa couple, Daren Heatherly and Irma Ramirez, filed the complaints in U.S. District Court. The three plaintiffs have filed dozens of similar lawsuits against businesses across California.

Shop owners can do the work or pay these scumbags $1,000 every time they visit the shop...

Frankovich is a very wealthy lawyer who targets small businesses who cannot afford to fight him. He's a bully. That he is accumulating these massive amounts of money under the guise of helping the "less fortunate" is particularly egregious, as everyone he goes up against automatically becomes less fortunate. Or unemployed. Some humanitarian, huh?